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Abstract:

A radiation generation device for generating resulting electromagnetic
radiation having an adjustable spectral composition includes: a multitude
of radiation elements (configured to generate a radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being activated, a
first radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements being
activatable independently of a second radiation element of the multitude
of radiation elements; a dispersive optical element; and an optical
opening; the dispersive optical element being configured to deflect the
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations, in dependence on
their wavelength and on a position of the radiation element generating
the respective radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, such
that a particular spectral range of each of the radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical opening,
so that the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic
radiation exiting through the optical opening is adjustable by
selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements.

Claims:

1. A radiation generation device for generating resulting electromagnetic
radiation comprising an adjustable spectral composition, comprising: a
multitude of radiation elements configured to generate a radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being
activated, a first radiation element of the multitude of radiation
elements being activatable independently of a second radiation element of
the multitude of radiation elements; a dispersive optical element; and an
optical opening; the dispersive optical element being configured to
deflect each radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, in
dependence on its wavelength and on a position of the radiation element
generating the respective radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation, such that a particular spectral range of each of the radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical
opening, so that the spectral composition of the resulting
electromagnetic radiation exiting through the optical opening is
adjustable by selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements.

2. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a
controller configured to selectively activate individual or several
radiation elements of the multitude of radiation elements so as to adjust
the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation.

3. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dispersive optical element is configured to split up each of the
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations into a multitude of
spectral constituents, respectively, the dispersive optical element and
the optical opening being arranged and configured such that one of the
spectral constituents of each radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation may pass through the optical opening, so that the spectral
composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation passing through
the optical opening is adjustable by selectively activating the multitude
of radiation elements.

4. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first
radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements is configured to
generate a first radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation,
and a second radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements is
configured to generate a second radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation, a spectral range of the second radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation being identical with a
spectral range of the first radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation, and the dispersive optical element being configured such that
a first spectral constituent of the first radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation may exit through the optical opening and a
first spectral constituent of the second radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation cannot exit through the optical opening,
wherein the first spectral constituent of the first radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiation and the first spectral constituent of
the second radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation are
identical.

5. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
dispersive optical element is configured such that a first spectral
constituent of the first radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation and a second spectral constituent of the second radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation can exit through the optical
opening, the first spectral constituent of the first radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiation being different from the second
constituent of the second radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation.

6. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
multitude of radiation elements comprises at least one thermal radiation
element which comprises, as its material, a metal, a metal alloy, an
electrically conductive metal/non-metal compound, a semiconductor
material, a conductive non-metal, e.g. a graphite-type carbon, or
compounds of non-metals.

7. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
multitude of radiation elements comprises at least one thermal radiation
element, and the thermal radiation element comprises a stack of layers
comprising layers made of different materials.

8. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a
radiation element comprises a respective extension, perpendicular to a
substrate plane, ranging from 100 nm to 100 μm, or, in a direction
parallel to the substrate plane, an extension of 1 μm to 200 μm,
or, in the direction perpendicular to the other direction parallel to the
substrate plane, an extension of 10 μm to 10 mm.

9. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
multitude of radiation elements comprise, as radiation elements, one or
more organic or inorganic light emitting diodes (OLEDs, LEDs) or laser
diodes.

10. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dispersive optical element is a diffraction grating, a concave
diffraction grating, a prism, or a combination of same.

11. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, comprising one
or more further optical elements, such as lenses or mirrors, for example,
or elements for reducing the scattered or stray light, or elements for
additional spectral filtering, e.g. for filtering radiation of relatively
high-order or relatively low-order diffractions.

12. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
optical opening is configured as an aperture comprising a rectangular or
oval cross section, or is configured from a structure comprising a
multitude of openings.

13. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
multitude of radiation elements, the dispersive optical element and the
optical opening are unmovably arranged within the radiation generation
device.

14. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
optical opening comprises a material that is transparent to the resulting
electromagnetic radiation and is partly coated with a material that is
non-transparent to the resulting electromagnetic radiation, or with a
stack of layers.

15. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
radiation elements are arranged on or in a shared substrate or a shared
diaphragm or are arranged in a self-supporting manner, mechanically
secured by a shared substrate.

16. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dispersive optical element or the optical opening, or openings, are
arranged in or on a substrate.

17. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dispersive optical element and the optical opening, or openings, are
arranged on or in a shared substrate.

18. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
radiation elements, the dispersive optical element or the optical opening
or the dispersive element and the optical opening, or openings, are
arranged on or in a shared substrate or a shared diaphragm.

19. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
radiation elements are arranged on or in a substrate, the dispersive
optical element is arranged on or in a substrate, and the optical opening
is arranged on or in a substrate, and wherein the substrate which has the
radiation elements arranged thereon or therein is indirectly or directly
connected to the substrate which has the dispersive optical element
arranged thereon or therein, or to the substrate which has the optical
opening(s) arranged thereon or therein.

20. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
substrates are connected to one another in a stacked manner.

21. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
radiation elements are arranged in or on a silicon-on-insulator
substrate.

22. The radiation generation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
radiation elements are configured to be strip-shaped manner and are
arranged in a regular manner or at variable distances from one another.

23. A spectral analysis device, comprising: a radiation generation device
for generating resulting electromagnetic radiation comprising an
adjustable spectral composition, said radiation generation device
comprising: a multitude of radiation elements configured to generate a
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon
being activated, a first radiation element of the multitude of radiation
elements being activatable independently of a second radiation element of
the multitude of radiation elements; a dispersive optical element; and an
optical opening; the dispersive optical element being configured to
deflect each radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, in
dependence on its wavelength and on a position of the radiation element
generating the respective radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation, such that a particular spectral range of each of the radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical
opening, so that the spectral composition of the resulting
electromagnetic radiation exiting through the optical opening is
adjustable by selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements;
a radiation detector configured to receive the resulting electromagnetic
radiation or an electromagnetic radiation generated by means of the
resulting electromagnetic radiation; and an evaluation unit configured to
perform a spectral analysis on the basis of the received electromagnetic
radiation.

24. A method of producing a radiation generation device, comprising:
providing or generating a multitude of radiation elements configured to
generate a radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation,
respectively, upon being activated, a first radiation element of the
multitude of radiation elements being activatable independently of a
second radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements;
providing or generating an optical opening; providing or generating a
dispersive optical element, connecting the dispersive optical element to
the multitude of radiation elements and to the optical opening, the
dispersive optical element being arranged and configured, in relation to
the multitude of radiation elements and the optical opening, to deflect
the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations in dependence
on their wavelengths and on a position of the radiation element
generating the respective radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation such that a limited spectral range of each of the radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical
opening, so that the spectral composition of the resulting
electromagnetic radiation exiting through the optical opening is
adjustable by selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from German Patent Application No.
102009046831.5, which was filed on Nov. 18, 2009, and is incorporated
herein in its entirety by reference.

[0003] In optical spectral analysis, the composition, the condition or
other properties of the object to be examined are examined by means of
the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the surface and at the
volume of said object. In this context, the wavelength-dependent
reflection, transmission, absorption and scattering properties of
materials are exploited.

[0004] Various variants of arrangements for performing spectroanalytical
examinations have been known.

[0005] A first variant illuminates the sample with the entire polychrome
spectrum of a light source, for example a halogen lamp or a thermal
radiator. The light that has started to interact with the sample is then
broken up into its spectral constituents within a monochromator, and
detected by means of a radiation detector or photodetector. To this end,
what may be used is either a mechanically movable dispersive element
(grating, prism) or an arrangement of several radiation detectors. What
is disadvantageous in the first possibility is utilization of a movable
element, which results in increased overhead for the overall system. On
the other hand, use of an arrangement of several detectors entails a
relatively large amount of effort and is relatively expensive,
particularly in the infrared wavelength range. In addition, due to the
high optical power, the sample is heated and, thus, the measurement is
influenced. A further disadvantage is the limited miniaturizability of
the overall system. It is restricted, among other things, by the sizes of
the radiation sources.

[0006] In a second variant, the light of a light source is broken up into
its spectral constituents before starting to interact with the sample.
For this purpose, a monochromator may be used as well, which, in turn,
contains mechanically movable parts. Following the interaction with the
sample, the light is detected using an individual detector. The sample is
exposed to a comparatively small radiation intensity. The architecture is
comparatively costly and mechanically delicate. In addition, in this
case, too, the radiation source restricts the miniaturization of the
overall system on the basis of system integration.

[0007] In a third variant, the electromagnetic radiation is generated
within a very small spectral range only. For this method, one
predominately uses such lasers whose wavelengths may be changed by
tunable resonators are predominately used. What is advantageous is the
high intensity within a very small wavelength interval. What is
disadvantageous is the limitation to specific wavelength ranges with
corresponding laser activity, increased effort devoted to the system due
to the high levels of mounting accuracy, and the high price resulting
therefrom. In addition, mechanically movable elements, such as gratings,
are sometimes used, which entails sensitivity toward mechanical
environmental influences. Also, when irradiating rough surfaces, the high
spatial coherence leads to interference effects, so-called speckles,
which may result in measurement errors in the detection.

[0008] In a fourth variant for a wide-range near-infrared spectral
analysis, an electron cyclotron (storage ring) may be used, for example,
which due to its size cannot be configured to be portable.

SUMMARY

[0009] According to an embodiment, a radiation generation device for
generating resulting electromagnetic radiation having an adjustable
spectral composition may have: a multitude of radiation elements
configured to generate a radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation, respectively, upon being activated, a first radiation element
of the multitude of radiation elements being activatable independently of
a second radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements; a
dispersive optical element; and an optical opening; the dispersive
optical element being configured to deflect each radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiation, in dependence on its wavelength and
on a position of the radiation element generating the respective
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, such that a
particular spectral range of each of the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical opening, so that
the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation
exiting through the optical opening is adjustable by selectively
activating the multitude of radiation elements.

[0010] According to another embodiment, a spectral analysis device may
have: a radiation generation device for generating resulting
electromagnetic radiation having an adjustable spectral composition,
which radiation generation device may have: a multitude of radiation
elements configured to generate a radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being activated, a first
radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements being
activatable independently of a second radiation element of the multitude
of radiation elements; a dispersive optical element; and an optical
opening; the dispersive optical element being configured to deflect each
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, in dependence on
its wavelength and on a position of the radiation element generating the
respective radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, such
that a particular spectral range of each of the radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical opening,
so that the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic
radiation exiting through the optical opening is adjustable by
selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements; a radiation
detector configured to receive the resulting electromagnetic radiation or
an electromagnetic radiation generated by means of the resulting
electromagnetic radiation; and an evaluation unit configured to perform a
spectral analysis on the basis of the received electromagnetic radiation.

[0011] According to another embodiment, a method of producing a radiation
generation device may have the steps of: providing or generating a
multitude of radiation elements configured to generate a radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being
activated, a first radiation element of the multitude of radiation
elements being activatable independently of a second radiation element of
the multitude of radiation elements; providing or generating an optical
opening; providing or generating a dispersive optical element, connecting
the dispersive optical element to the multitude of radiation elements and
to the optical opening, the dispersive optical element being arranged and
configured, in relation to the multitude of radiation elements and the
optical opening, to deflect the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations in dependence on their wavelengths and on a
position of the radiation element generating the respective radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation such that a limited spectral
range of each of the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiations may exit through the optical opening, so that the spectral
composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation exiting through
the optical opening is adjustable by selectively activating the multitude
of radiation elements.

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention provides a radiation
generation device for generating resulting electromagnetic radiation
having an adjustable spectral composition, comprising: a multitude of
radiation elements configured to generate a radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being activated, a first
radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements being
activatable independently of a second radiation element of the multitude
of radiation elements; a dispersive optical element; and an optical
opening; the dispersive optical element being configured to deflect each
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, in dependence on
its wavelength and on a position of the radiation element generating the
respective radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, such
that a limited spectral range of each of the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical opening, so that
the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation
exiting through the optical opening is adjustable by selectively
activating the multitude of radiation elements.

[0013] A further embodiment of the present invention provides a radiation
generation device for generating resulting electromagnetic radiation
having an adjustable spectral composition, comprising: a multitude of
radiation elements configured to generate a radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being activated, each
radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements being
activatable independently of other radiation elements of the multitude of
radiation elements; a dispersive optical element configured to split up
each of the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations into a
multitude of spectral constituents, respectively; and an optical opening;
the dispersive optical element and the optical opening being arranged and
configured such that one of the spectral constituents of each radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation may pass through the optical
opening, so that the spectral composition of the resulting
electromagnetic radiation passing through the optical opening is
adjustable by selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements.

[0015] Embodiments of the radiation generation device may, therefore,
comprise several monochrome light emitting diodes or laser diodes
generating radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation of
different wavelengths in each case, so that by selectively activating
said radiation elements, a resulting electromagnetic radiation is
generated which comprises one or more of said monochrome spectra.

[0016] Further embodiments may comprise thermal radiation elements,
radiation elements in accordance with the halogen lamp principle or white
light emitting diodes or other radiation elements configured to generate
polychrome radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation. The
dispersive optical element may be configured such that a particular or a
limited spectral range of each of said radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical opening, for
example a spectral range smaller than the original spectral range
generated by the radiation element, so that the resulting electromagnetic
radiation comprises a spectral composition defined from one or more of
the particular or limited spectral ranges.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the dispersive optical element and the
optical opening may be configured such that of at least one or of each of
said radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations, only a
spectral range that is limited as compared to the original spectrum of
the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation may exit through
the optical opening. In other words, such embodiments may be configured
to filter the original radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation, it being possible, depending on the implementation of the
optical dispersive element and the optical opening, for an original
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation to be filtered onto
a narrow-band or, as seen in relation to the original spectrum,
narrower-band spectrum or onto a monochrome spectrum. Such embodiments
enable flexibly selecting, from the entire original wide-band or
narrow-band spectrum of the polychrome radiation elements, particular
spectral components, e.g. narrow-band, narrower-band or monochrome
spectral constituents, and to select and/or superimpose them for
generating the spectrum of the resulting electromagnetic radiation.

[0018] Further embodiments may comprise one or more polychrome radiation
elements and, in addition, one or more monochrome radiation elements. In
such embodiments, the dispersive optical element may further be
configured such that of each of the polychrome radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations, a particular or limited spectral range may
exit through the optical opening, for example a spectral range that is
smaller than the original spectral range generated by the radiation
element, and may further be configured to deflect the wavelength or the
spectral range of each monochrome radiation element such that the
monochrome radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation may exit
through the optical opening. Such embodiments enable filtering out
certain spectral components, e.g. narrow-band or monochrome spectral
constituents, from wide-band polychrome radiation elements in a flexible
manner, for example, and to superimpose them, for generating the
resulting electromagnetic radiation spectrum, with monochrome radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiations of the monochrome radiation
sources, it being possible for the intensity of the monochrome radiation
to be higher, for example, than an intensity of the spectra generated by
means of filtering, or for the monochrome radiation to be within a
spectral range not covered by the original spectrum of the polychrome
radiation elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be detailed subsequently
referring to the appended drawings, in which:

[0021]FIG. 1B shows an embodiment of an arrangement of light emitting
diodes as radiation elements.

[0022]FIG. 2A shows a schematic cross section of a first embodiment of a
radiation generation device for generating a resulting electromagnetic
radiation with a multitude of similar thermal radiation elements, FIG. 2A
depicting, by way of example, three spectral constituents of a radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation of a radiation element.

[0023]FIG. 2B shows the schematic cross section of the first embodiment
of FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B depicting the different spatial deflections of the
same spectral constituent for two similar radiation elements.

[0024]FIG. 2c shows the schematic cross section of the first embodiment
of FIGS. 2a and 2b, FIG. 2c depicting the superposition of two different
spectral constituents of two similar radiation elements.

[0030] Before the present invention will be explained in more detail below
with reference to the accompanying figures, it shall be noted that the
drawings are not realized to scale for better comprehensibility. In
addition, identical reference numerals are used for objects and
functional units having identical or similar functional properties,
repeated descriptions of said objects and functional units being
dispensed with. It shall further be noted in this context that on the one
hand, sections referring to objects having similar or identical
functional properties are exchangeable between the descriptions of the
different embodiments unless explicitly stated otherwise. On the other
hand, it shall be noted that shared utilization of a reference numeral
for an object occurring in more than one embodiment does not indicate
that said objects have identical features and properties in the different
embodiments or in the embodiment concerned. Shared or similar reference
numerals, thus, do not represent any statement regarding the specific
configuration and positioning.

[0031] In this context, the term "spectrum" is used for generally
describing the wavelength-related composition of electromagnetic
radiation, the terms "spectral range" and "wavelength range" being used
synonymously and describing a range of wavelengths defined by a lower
limit or minimum wavelength and by an upper limit or maximum wavelength.
Two spectral ranges or wavelength ranges are the same, or identical, if
they have the same minimum and the same maximum wavelengths. Two spectral
ranges or wavelength ranges are different if they differ either in terms
of the minimum length and/or in terms of the maximum wavelength. In
addition, two spectral ranges or wavelength ranges are referred to as
being non-overlapping if the maximum wavelength of one spectral range is
smaller than the minimum wavelength of the other spectral range.

[0032] In addition, the term "monochrome spectrum" is used when the
spectrum essentially, i.e. while neglecting a scattering of the
wavelength, comprises only one wavelength, and the term "polychrome
spectrum" is used when the spectrum comprises more than one wavelength,
while neglecting the scattering. A spectrum is referred to as a discrete
spectrum if it comprises only one or more monochrome spectra, and is
referred to as a continuous spectrum if it comprises, between a first
cut-off wavelength and a second wavelength, all of the wavelengths
contained within this range. A narrow-band spectrum generally designates
a spectrum comprising a discrete or a continuous spectrum of a smaller
bandwidth, i.e. of a smaller wavelength range, than a wide-band spectrum.

[0033] Before the individual embodiments of the figures are addressed,
general aspects of embodiments of the radiation generation device for
generating a resulting electromagnetic radiation having an adjustable
spectral composition shall first be described. Embodiments of the
radiation generation device comprise individual ranges emitting
electromagnetic radiation, which will also be referred to as elements,
radiation elements, radiation emitters or light emitters below. The
radiation generation of the radiation elements may be based on various
physical principles. The elements for generating the radiation may be
manufactured by means of technologies known from semiconductor and
microsystems technologies, such as lithography, etching and coating
processes. By means of said methods, radiation generation devices may be
generated which have thermal radiators as radiation elements in the form
of thin beams that may be used like an incandescent filament in
"incandescent lamps" by means of heat for emitting electromagnetic
radiation. These embodiments of the radiation elements are particularly
advantageous in infrared spectral ranges.

[0034] In addition, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), inorganic light
emitting diodes (LEDs) or semiconductor lasers or laser diodes may be
laterally structured as radiation elements that may be manufactured such
that they are adapted to different wavelength ranges. In organic light
emitting diodes, one single electrode may be generated and laterally
structured instead of a multitude of individual organic light emitting
diodes and, in this manner, a large-area diode may be locally excited,
e.g. in a strip-shape, to emit radiation.

[0035] Depending on the implementation, embodiments may therefore cover
large spectral ranges, but also relatively small ranges within a wide
electromagnetic spectrum. Due to the combination with an optical means
for spectral decomposition of the emitted radiation and an aperture or
opening, embodiments of the radiation generation device enable a
spectrally modulatable light source that may be generated without any
costly adaptations or implementations of the radiation elements. In
particular, "tuning" of radiation sources, which is known from other
conventional approaches, such as with lasers by performing mechanical
adaptations of the laser cavity, or rotation of a diffraction grating
within a monochromator is avoided. Thus, embodiments of the present
radiation generation device enable a marked improvement of the stability
of the radiation source as compared to conventional technology. Instead
of tuning, the embodiments of the radiation generation device comprise
exploiting the lateral structuring, i.e. the several radiation elements
that are controllable independently of one another, in order to change or
adjust the wavelength composition of the spectral constituents unified
within the aperture.

[0036] Due to the production-related possibility of integration and direct
utilization of the radiation elements, high energy efficiency can be
achieved.

[0037] The wavelength ranges that may be used for the resulting
electromagnetic radiation may be changed within the emission spectrum of
the radiation elements by adapting a few system parameters, for example
the implementation and properties of the means for spectrally splitting
up the radiation, also referred to as a dispersive optical element, and
of the aperture, also referred to as an optical opening. Thus, different
embodiments of the radiation sources or radiation generation device for
generating resulting electromagnetic radiation comprising adjustable
spectral composition may be created by means of few adaptations.

[0038] The architecture of the inventive radiation generation devices
enables production of the entire spectrally modulatable light source in
microtechnology or while using molding and injection molding
technologies. The small sizes of the individual radiation elements enable
relatively high temporal modulation frequencies, whereby embodiments of
the radiation generation device for measurement principles may be enabled
using the lock-in method (modulation of the source and demodulation upon
receipt of the detected signal; TDM--time-division multiplexing), so that
an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be achieved. In addition,
embodiments of the radiation generation device for generating a resulting
electromagnetic radiation comprising an adjustable spectral composition
enable wave modulation, for example in communication engineering, that
may be used for an improved signal-to-noise ratio and for increasing the
data transmission rate (WDM--wavelength-division multiplexing). The
radiation generation device, which may also be referred to and used as a
modulatable light source, comprises no mechanically movable parts and may
be designed in a robust manner, which is advantageous, among other
things, for employing portable devices.

[0039]FIG. 1A shows a schematic view of an arrangement of a multitude of
radiation elements 1 arranged on a substrate 6. Below, reference numeral
1 will be generally used for the radiation elements, and reference
numerals 1a, 1b, 1c, etc. will be used for designating individual
radiation elements (see FIG. 1A). The radiation elements 1 and/or 1a-1n
may be configured, e.g., as filaments, i.e. as thermal radiation
elements. As is depicted in FIG. 1A, the filaments may be arranged on the
substrate 6 in a strip-type manner and parallel to one other. In
addition, individual or all of the filaments may have the same dimensions
(length, width, thickness) or different dimensions. Alternatively, some
or all of the filaments may have other shapes than the strip shape.

[0040] The radiation elements, in particular the filaments, 1a to 1n may
have a height (dimension perpendicular to the substrate plane) ranging
from 100 nm to 100 μm or 500 nm to 10 μm, a width (a dimension
within the substrate plane) from 1 to 200 μm or 5 to 100 μm, or a
length (perpendicular to the other dimension within the substrate plane)
ranging from 10 μm to 100 mm or 100 μm to 1 mm.

[0041] As their materials, the filaments may comprise, for example, a
metal, a metal alloy or an electrically conductive metal/non-metal
compound or a semiconductor material or a conductive material, e.g.
graphite-type carbon, or compounds of non-metals. In addition, the
filaments 1a to 1n may consist of a stack of different materials, which
combine, e.g., the functions of an electrical conductor, a barrier or a
diffuse barrier and a material having a high emission rate.

[0042] In accordance with an embodiment as is shown in FIG. 1, the
filaments 1a to 1n may be arranged in a self-supported manner on a
substrate carrier 6 or substrate frame 6 and may be mechanically
connected to same. The substrate 6 may be a silicon-on-insulator
substrate (SOI substrate) or a silicon substrate, for example.

[0043] The radiation elements 1 or 1a to 1n may be controlled
independently of one another and, thus, be excited to emit the radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation. FIG. 1A further shows a
controller 100 configured to selectively activate individual or several
radiation elements of the multitude of radiation elements 1a to 1n to
adjust the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic
radiation of the radiation generation device. For selective control, the
radiation element 1a is electrically connected to a conductive pattern
100a, the second radiation element 1b is electrically connected to a
second conductive pattern 100b, the third radiation element 1c is
electrically connected to a third conductive pattern 100c, the fourth
radiation element 1d is electrically connected to a fourth conductive
pattern 100d, and the nth radiation element 1n is electrically
connected to an nth conductive pattern 100n. The electrical
conductive patterns 100a to 100n may be electrically insulated and may be
electrically connected, independently of one another, to n different
external contacts so as to be able to connect a controller 100 that is
external to the radiation generation device, and to be able to control,
via the controller 100, the spectral compositions of the resulting
electromagnetic radiations. In further embodiments, several radiation
elements may be electrically connected to the same conductive pattern and
possibly to the same external contact so as to be able to activate them
together. For example, the radiation elements 1a and 1b may be connected
to a shared conductive pattern, and the radiation elements 1c and 1d may
be electrically connected to another shared conductive pattern, or e.g.
the elements 1a, 1d and 1n may be electrically connected to a shared
conductive pattern. Alternatively, the controller 100 may also be
integrated into the radiation generation device, e.g. by means of a
controller 100 integrated in the silicon substrate or a controller 100
integrated into the functional layer of an SOI substrate.

[0044] The controller 100 may be configured to successively activate
individual, or combinations of individual, radiation elements to perform,
e.g., a spectral analysis or wavelength modulation or to temporally
change intensities of the respective radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations so as to perform an amplitude modulation, for
example.

[0045]FIG. 1B shows a schematic top view of another embodiment of an
arrangement of radiation elements 1 or 1a to 1n. Like in FIG. 1A, the
radiation elements are arranged in a strip-type manner, but are
implemented, in FIG. 1B, as organic or inorganic light emitting diodes or
as laser diodes. The individual radiation elements may be individual
diodes 1a to 1n or be realized by a large-area diode that may be excited,
in a spatially limited manner, by structured electrodes to emit
electromagnetic radiation. In other words, for the embodiment with
large-area diodes, reference numerals 1a to 1n designate the spatial
structures of the large-area diode, which may be excited independently of
one another.

[0046] The carrier substrate 6 on which the radiation elements are
arranged may be implemented as a silicon or glass substrate. As in FIG.
1a, the radiation elements may be controlled independently of one another
via the lines 100a to 100n and, thus, be excited to emit the radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation. The explanations given on the
radiation elements (identical or different dimensions of the individual
radiation elements, identical or different distances, identical or
different shapes, independent control, etc.) in FIG. 1A shall also apply,
accordingly, to the radiation elements in FIG. 1B or to other radiation
elements that may be employed for embodiments of the radiation generation
device.

[0047]FIG. 2A shows a schematic cross section of a first embodiment of a
radiation generation device comprising a first carrier substrate 62, a
diaphragm layer or functional layer 61, a second carrier substrate 9, and
an encapsulation substrate 8. The second carrier substrate 9 has a first
surface 206 and a surface 204 opposite said first surface. The second
carrier substrate 9 further has a one-sided recess or cavity 202 that is
upwardly opened, in the orientation of FIG. 2A, i.e. that comprises an
opening on the side of the second surface 204. The first surface 206 has
the functional layer 61 arranged thereon, wherein the radiation elements
1, e.g. the radiation elements 1a to 1n of FIG. 1A, as well as the
optical opening 3 are formed. The radiation elements are laterally
separated by continuous recesses extending from a first surface of the
functional layer, which faces the second carrier substrate 9, to a second
surface, opposite the first one, of the functional layer 61, and the
optical recess is formed by a continuous recess within the functional
layer, which also extends from the first surface of the functional layer
61 to the second surface of the functional layer 61 (see FIG. 2A). That
surface of the functional layer 61 which faces away from the second
surface 204 of the second carrier substrate, i.e. the second surface of
the functional layer 61, has the first carrier substrate 62 arranged
thereon. The first carrier substrate 62 has a first continuous recess 212
arranged above the radiation elements 1 and a second continuous recess
214 arranged above the optical opening 3. The continuous recesses 212 and
214 of the carrier substrate 62 extend from a first surface of the
carrier substrate 62, which faces the functional layer 61, to a second
surface of the carrier substrate 62, which is opposite the first one.
Above the first carrier substrate 62, i.e. on that surface of the first
carrier substrate 62 which faces away from the functional layer 61, or on
the second surface of the first carrier substrate 62, the encapsulation
substrate 8 is disposed. The encapsulation substrate 8 may be configured,
for example, to hermetically seal a cavity formed from the first recess
212, the second recess 214 of the first carrier substrate, the
interstices between the radiation elements in the functional layer 61 and
the optical opening 3 in the functional layer 61, as well as the recess
202 of the second carrier substrate.

[0048] In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the radiation elements 1a to 1n, the
recess in the second carrier substrate 9, the optical opening 3, and the
second recess 214 are arranged in the substrate carrier such that the
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations of the activated
radiation elements 1a to 1n propagate, within the recess 202, as far as
the dispersive optical element, from where they are deflected, also
within the recess 202, in the direction of the optical opening, and may
exit the radiation generation device through the optical opening 3 and
the second recess 204 as well as the transparent encapsulation substrate
as constituents of the resulting electromagnetic radiation 220.
Therefore, the first and second carrier substrates as well as the
functional layer may be configured to be non-transparent, for example, or
may comprise non-transparent materials.

[0049] In alternative embodiments of the radiation generation device,
further layers or substrates may be arranged between the second carrier
substrate 9 and the functional layer 61, between the functional layer 61
and the first carrier substrate 62, and between the first carrier
substrate 62 and the encapsulation substrate 8, respectively. It is also
possible for further embodiments to comprise no encapsulation substrate
8. The dispersive optical element 2 may further comprise the same
material as the second carrier substrate 9, for example it may be made of
same during manufacturing, or it may be made of a different material,
which is deposited onto or into the recess 202 of the second carrier
substrate 9 and structured.

[0050] The mode of operation of the radiation generation device will be
described below with reference to FIGS. 2a to 2c by means of an
embodiment wherein the radiation generation device comprises thermal
radiation elements 1 that generate electromagnetic radiation having a
wide-band, polychrome spectrum as the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation when being activated or excited. However, the
mode of operation is independent of the physical principle of generating
the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, so that the
explanations shall also apply, accordingly, to radiation elements
configured to generate the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation by means of other physical principles, e.g. light emitting
diodes.

[0051] Specifically, FIG. 2A shows an activated radiation element 1n
generating radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n in the
direction of the optical dispersive element 2 (see arrow). The optical
dispersive element 2 is configured such that it deflects the radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n, more specifically its
spectral constituents, in dependence on the angle of incidence, in such
different manners that different spectral constituents are reflected to
different areas or solid angles. FIG. 2A shows the deflected or reflected
spectrum 5n comprising the exemplary first constituent 5n1, a second
spectral constituent 5n2, and a third spectral constituent 5n3. As is
shown in FIG. 2A, the dispersive optical element 2 splits up the
radiation element specific electrical radiation 4n into a multitude (here
3) of spectral constituents, e.g. 5n1 to 5n3, which are deflected in
different directions or solid angles. In this context, the dispersive
optical element 2 and the optical opening 3 are arranged and configured
such that one of the spectral constituents, in FIG. 2A the second
spectral constituent 5n2, of the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation 4n may pass through the optical opening 3. The
other spectral constituents 5n1 and 5n3 are deflected such that they do
not impinge upon the optical opening 3 or that they cannot pass or exit
though same, but impinge upon the functional layer 61 adjacently to the
optical opening 3, for example. In the present case, the optical opening
3 is an actual opening in the sense of a recess within the functional
layer, and the functional layer is configured to be non-transparent, i.e.
it absorbs or reflects the light, for example, advantageously absorbs it.
In other words, the arrangement of the individual radiation elements of
the dispersive optical element 2 and of the optical opening 3 in relation
to one another as well as the configuration of the dispersive optical
element 2 with regard to its angles of incidence and wavelength-dependent
properties enable that of each radiation element, only a particular
spectral constituent or, more generally, only radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation of a particular spectrum or wavelength range is
deflected (and focused) to the opening 3 and that therefore, the spectral
composition of the resulting radiation exiting the radiation generation
device (see arrow bearing the reference numeral 220) may be adjusted by
selectively activating one or more radiation elements 1a to 1n. In other
words, the original spectrum of the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation is filtered and limited to the second spectral
constituent.

[0052]FIG. 2B shows the same embodiment of the radiation generation
device of FIG. 2A; however, in FIG. 2B, the first radiation element 1a
and the nth radiation element n are activated, so that the first
radiation element generates a first radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation 4a, and the nth radiation element
generates a further radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation
4n. Both radiation elements 1a and 1n are identical in FIGS. 2a to 2c,
and they generate the same radiation element specific electromagnetic
spectrum, i.e. both radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations
4a and 4n have the same spectrum, that is, they have the same wavelength
range with the same minimum wavelength and the same maximum wavelength.
Both radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations 4a and 4n
impinge upon the dispersive optical element 2 and are split up into their
spectral constituents. To illustrate the operating principle, however,
FIG. 2B shows only the second spectral range, by analogy with FIG. 2A, of
both radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations, in each case.
In FIG. 2B, the further radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation 4n is spectrally split and deflected by the optical dispersive
element 2 such that only the second spectral constituent 5n2 of the
further radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n exits
through the optical opening 3. As is further depicted in FIG. 2B, the
same second spectral constituent 5a2, i.e. the same wavelength range
within the spectrum of the first radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation 4a, is deflected in a different direction than
the corresponding spectral constituent 5n2 of the further radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n. In other words, FIG. 2B
shows the different deflections of the same spectral range by the
dispersive optical element 2 because of the different angle of incidence
upon the optical dispersive element 2, which is due to the different
positions of the individual radiation elements 1a to 1n.

[0053]FIG. 2c, in turn, shows the first and further radiation element
specific electromagnetic radiation 4a and 4n generated by activating the
first radiation element 1a and the nth radiation element 4n. Unlike
FIG. 2B, however, FIG. 2c shows the superposition of the first spectral
constituent 5a1 of the first radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation 4a with the second spectral constituent 5n2 of the further
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n. In other words,
the dispersive optical element 2c is configured, in FIG. 2c, to direct
the first spectral constituent 5a1 in the same direction and/or the same
solid angle as the second spectral constituent 5n2, the first spectral
constituent being different from the second spectral constituent 5n2.

[0054] In other words, embodiments of the radiation generation device may
comprise a multitude of radiation elements 1, 1a-1n that are configured
to generate radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4a-4n,
respectively, when they are activated, each radiation element of the
multitude of radiation elements being activatable independently of other
radiation elements of the multitude of radiation elements, and comprise a
dispersive optical element 2 and an optical opening 3, a first radiation
element 1a of the multitude of radiation elements being configured to
generate a first radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4a,
and a second radiation element 4n of the multitude of radiation elements
being configured to generate a second radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation 4n, a spectral range of the second radiation
element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n being identical with a
spectral range of the first radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation 4a, and the dispersive optical element 2 being configured to
deflect the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations 4a-4n,
in dependence on their angles of incidence and their wavelengths, in such
a manner, or to split up the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiations 4a-4n in such a manner that a first spectral constituent of
the first radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4a may
exit through the optical opening 3, and a first spectral constituent of
the second radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4n cannot
exit through the optical opening 3, the first spectral constituent of the
first radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation and the first
spectral constituent of the second radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation being identical.

[0055] Embodiments may further comprise a dispersive optical element 2
configured to deflect the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiations 4a-4n, in dependence on their angles of incidence and their
wavelengths, or to split up the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiations 4a-4n, such that a first spectral constituent
of the first radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation 4a and
a second spectral constituent of the second radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation 4n may exit through the optical opening 3, the
first spectral constituent of the first radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation being different from the second constituent 5n2
of the second radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation.

[0056] In further embodiments, the radiation elements may be configured to
generate radiation element specific radiations of different spectra, and
the spectral constituents into which the radiation element specific
radiations are split up may be different. In addition, in some
embodiments, the spectral constituents, e.g. the first spectral
constituent 5a1 and the second spectral constituent 5n2, may overlap
irrespective of whether said radiation elements are identical or
different, whereas in other embodiments, both spectral constituents are
adjacent to each other, or are free from overlap.

[0057] In further embodiments of FIG. 2A, the radiation elements 1 consist
of heatable structures, so-called filaments. Said filaments 1, or 1a to
1n, may be arranged on or in a shared substrate, for example a carrier
substrate 6 or 61, or a shared diaphragm 62 or functional layer 62
carried by a substrate, e.g. carrier substrate 61, or may be arranged in
a self-supporting manner, mechanically secured by a shared substrate 6
(see FIG. 1A). The shared substrate may be a so-called
silicon-on-insulator substrate (SOI) 61, 62. Such SOI substrates consist
of a functional layer 61 of monocrystalline silicon, which is connected,
by a thin oxide layer (not shown in FIGS. 2a to 2c), to a silicon carrier
layer 62 having a thickness of typically several 100 μm, also referred
to as a carrier substrate 62. The filaments 1 may be made from the SOI
substrate 61, 62 using known methods from semiconductor and microsystems
technology, such as photolithography, etching or coating. Self-supporting
filaments 1 may be created, for example, by partially removing the
carrier layer (carrier substrate) 62 and by laterally structuring the
functional layer 61 of the SOI substrate. The filaments 1 may be
adjacently arranged in a strip-type and regular manner or at variable
distances. In addition, the filaments 1 may also have other geometries
than the strips depicted in FIGS. 1a and 1b.

[0058] On the reverse side, the SOI substrate 61 may be encapsulated with
a further substrate, which is also referred to as an encapsulation
substrate 8, for example a glass substrate. On the front side, the SOI
substrate 61, 62 may be directly connected to a further substrate 9,
which is also referred to as a second carrier substrate 9 and has a
dispersive optical element 2 located thereon or therein. The second
carrier substrate 9 may be manufactured from a glass or metal material,
and in the embodiment of FIGS. 2a to 2c, it has two functions. Firstly,
hermetic encapsulation of the system may be achieved by the second
carrier substrate. Secondly, the second carrier substrate 9 forms the
carrier for the dispersive optical element 2, the dispersive optical
element 2 being configured as a concave diffraction grating 2 in the
embodiment of FIGS. 2a to 2c. Such concave diffraction gratings enable
both wavelength-dependent splitting of the radiation element specific
electromagnetic radiation and refocusing of the filaments or of the
spectral constituents following the splitting or deflection into the
vicinity or into the plane of the optical opening 3, which, in the
embodiment of FIGS. 2a and 2c, is formed, is realized by a slit, or gap,
in the functional layer 61. In the following, the concave diffraction
grating 2 will also be simply referred to as diffraction grating 2.

[0059] Diffraction gratings, also concave diffraction gratings, may be
manufactured, for example, using methods of ultra-precision cutting or
corresponding molding and embossing processes. Both the substrate 9 and
the diffraction grating 2 may share a manufacturing step, e.g. molding,
or be manufactured separately. For example, the diffraction grating 2 may
be created, by holographic methods, on the second carrier substrate 2,
which has been previously manufactured and provided with a polymer layer.
In addition, the diffraction grating 2 may consist of structures
optimized within a specific wavelength range, such diffraction gratings
also being referred to as blazed gratings.

[0060] The functional layer 61 has an opening 3 located therein for
coupling out the electromagnetic radiation 5 generated by the filaments
1, which radiation 5 spectrally limits, in combination with the
dispersive optical element 2, the spectral range that may be contributed
by each of the radiation elements for the spectral composition of the
resulting electromagnetic radiation.

[0061] The optical opening 3 may be selected, for example, as a
rectangular slit etched into the functional layer 61. By the slit 3,
spectral filtering of the radiation 5 is achieved, which radiation 5
originates from the individual elements, filaments or, generally,
radiation elements, and is spectrally split up by the diffraction grating
2. The encapsulation substrate 8 may be configured to be transparent at
least above the second recess 214 so as to enable the radiation 220,
which passes through the slit, from the overall system, i.e. from the
radiation generation device.

[0062] Connection of the substrates 61, 62, 8 and 9 may be effected by
customary joining processes of semiconductor and microsystems technology,
such as gluing or bonding. For example, the encapsulation substrate 8 may
be connected to the first carrier substrate 62 by anodic or adhesive
bonding. In addition, soldering processes, in particular laser soldering,
are suited to yield a connection of the substrates 61, 62, 8 and 9.
Connection of the substrates 8, 61, 62 and 9 may be effected both in a
wafer bond arrangement and with singulating components.

[0063] Mutual hermetic connection of the individual substrates 8, 61, 62
and 9, which may be achieved by the above-mentioned technologies, offers
the possibility of operating the filaments 1 within a vacuum or within a
suitable filling gas. The filling gas may be a protective gas or an
active gas, for example, such as in commercial halogen lamps. The filling
gas may be advantageously configured to be gas-chemical, which, by
increasing the pressure, minimizes evaporation of the filaments, changes
the precipitation of the evaporated filament material on the surrounding
surfaces, and supports or enables, by a corresponding reaction,
recirculation of the filament material. Gas mixtures may also be employed
in this context. Said gas mixtures may consist, for example, of an
element of the group of halogens, such as iodine, of oxygen, or of an
element of the group of noble gases, such as argon, xenon or krypton.

[0064] In addition, the filaments 1 may be connected to the carrier
substrate 61 by a holder suitably implemented to compensate for thermal
expansion, e.g. by flexible elements or spring structures.

[0065] As was explained above, FIG. 2B shows the same embodiment as FIG.
2a. To illustrate the functional principle, the radiations 4a and 4n
originating from two filaments 1a and 1n are drawn in in FIG. 2B. Said
radiations are split up into their spectral components by the diffraction
grating 2, respectively, FIG. 2A depicting only the second spectral
component, respectively, 5a2 and 5n2. The diffraction grating 2 is
configured as a concave grating, so that in addition to being spectrally
split, the radiation is focused onto the exit slit 3. Due to the angular
misalignment at which the radiations of the two filaments impinges upon
the grating, the respectively same spectral component 5a2 and 5n2 of the
different filaments 1a and 1n is focused onto a different location within
the slit plane. Thus, a different spectral component passes through the
slit 3 from each filament 1a to 1n. By controlling the different
filaments 1a to 1n in a targeted manner, the spectral composition of the
coupled-out radiation 220 may be changed.

[0066] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the radiation generation
device, wherein the radiation elements 1 are configured as filaments 1
which, in turn, are arranged in or on an SOI substrate 61, 62. In the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the SOI substrate, more specifically the
functional layer 62, is encapsulated, on its front side, with a further
substrate 8, which is also referred to as an encapsulation substrate 8
and may be a glass substrate, for example. The dispersive optical element
2 used is, again, a concave diffraction grating 2, which is integrated,
on the reverse side, into a corresponding second carrier substrate 9. The
second carrier substrate 9 may be directly used for front-side
encapsulation of the SOI substrate 61, 62. The second carrier substrate 9
is manufactured from a material transparent to electromagnetic radiation,
for example from glass or plastic, and, at the same time it serves as the
carrier substrate for the opening 3 for coupling out the resulting
electromagnetic radiation 220. As is shown in FIG. 3, the optical opening
3 may be configured as a slit, for example, which consists of a laterally
structured material that is arranged on the substrate 9 and is not
transparent to the radiation, e.g. a metal or a stack of layers 30.

[0067] In other words, FIG. 3 generally shows a schematic cross section of
a second embodiment of a radiation generation device comprising a first
carrier substrate 62, a diaphragm layer, or functional layer, 61, a
second carrier substrate 9, an encapsulation substrate 8, and a
non-transparent layer 30. The second carrier substrate 9 has a first
surface 206 and a surface 204 opposite said first surface. The first
surface 206 of the second carrier substrate has the first carrier
substrate 62 arranged thereon, which has a first continuous recess 312
that is arranged underneath the radiation elements 1. The continuous
recess 312 of the carrier substrate 62 extends from a first surface of
the carrier substrate 62, which faces the second carrier substrate 9, to
a second surface of the carrier substrate 62, which is opposite the first
one. The functional layer 61 is arranged above the first carrier
substrate 62, i.e. on the second surface of the first carrier substrate
62. Similarly to FIGS. 2a to 2c, the radiation elements 1 are laterally
separated by continuous recesses that extend from a first surface of the
functional layer, which faces the first carrier substrate 62, to a second
surface of the functional layer 61, which is opposite the first one. The
encapsulation substrate 8 is arranged above the functional layer 61, that
is, on the second surface of the functional layer 61. On the surface
facing the functional layer 61, the encapsulation substrate 8 has a
recess 812 that is arranged above the radiation elements 1. For example,
the encapsulation substrate 8 may be configured to hermetically seal a
cavity from the recess 812, the recess 312, and the interstices between
the radiation elements within the functional layer 61. On the second
surface 204 of the second carrier substrate 9, the non-transparent layer
30 is arranged laterally, i.e. adjacently to the first carrier substrate
62, and comprises the optical opening 3 in the form of a continuous
recess that extends from a first surface of the layer 30, which faces the
second carrier substrate, to a second surface of the layer 30, which is
opposite the first surface.

[0068] In FIG. 3, the second carrier substrate 9 is transparent, and the
radiation elements 1, the recess 312, the second carrier substrate 9, the
dispersive optical element 2, and the optical opening 3 are arranged and
configured such that the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation of the activated radiation elements 1a to 1n within the second
carrier substrate 9 propagates up to the dispersive optical element,
where it is deflected, also within the second carrier substrate 9, in the
direction of the optical opening, and may exit from the radiation
generation device through the optical opening 3 as constituents of the
resulting electromagnetic radiation 220.

[0069]FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the radiation generation device,
wherein the filaments 1 are arranged in or on an SOI substrate 61, 62,
similarly to FIG. 3. As in FIG. 3, the SOI substrate 61, 62 of FIG. 4 is
encapsulated, on the front side, with an encapsulation substrate 8, for
example a glass substrate. In addition to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the
SOI structure 61, 62 is not encapsulated by the second carrier substrate
9, but by a further encapsulation substrate 8b, which is arranged, on the
reverse side, on the SOI substrate and is hermetically connected to the
first carrier substrate 61. Embodiments of FIG. 4 enable hermetic
encapsulation of the SOI structure by the two encapsulation substrates 8
and 8b at the wafer level during manufacturing.

[0070] In other words, FIG. 4 generally shows a schematic cross section of
a third embodiment of a radiation generation device, which is similar to
the second embodiment of FIG. 3 and additionally comprises a further
encapsulation substrate 8b arranged between the first carrier substrate
61 and the second carrier substrate 9. Embodiments of FIG. 4, thus,
generally enable hermetic encapsulation of the radiation elements 1 by
the two encapsulation substrates 8 and 8b at the wafer level during
manufacturing.

[0071]FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a radiation generation device wherein
the radiation elements 1 are implemented as organic light emitting diodes
(OLEDs). The first carrier substrate 63 for the OLED 1 may be a silicon
substrate known from semiconductor technology, for example. The organic
light emitting diodes 1a to 1n may be configured to be strip-shaped and
may be arranged in a regular manner or at variable distances from one
another. In an alternative embodiment, the radiation generation device
comprises large-area diodes that may be excited, in a spatially limited
manner, by structured electrodes 1a to 1n to emit electromagnetic
radiation.

[0072] The first carrier substrate may be encapsulated, on the front side
(on the side of the OLED) with an encapsulation substrate 8, e.g. a glass
substrate 8. The dispersive optical element 2 used is, again, a concave
diffraction grating 2, which is integrated into the second carrier
substrate 9 on the reverse side, i.e. on the first surface 206 of the
second carrier substrate 9, as already depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. In
other words, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 which
comprises--instead of the SOI structure 61, 62 comprising the integrated
filaments 1 and the encapsulation substrate 8 arranged on the front
side--a conventional substrate 63, e.g. a silicon substrate, which has
the radiation elements arranged thereon in the form of organic light
emitting diodes 1a to 1n. Similarly to the embodiment of FIG. 4, the
embodiment of FIG. 5 can be hermetically sealed at the wafer level during
manufacturing in that at the wafer level, the encapsulation substrate 8
is deposited onto the wafer with the substrate 63 and the organic light
emitting diodes 1a to 1n.

[0073] In other words, FIG. 5 generally shows a schematic cross section of
a fourth embodiment of a radiation generation device comprising a first
carrier substrate 63, radiation elements 1, a second carrier substrate 9,
an encapsulation substrate 8, and a non-transparent layer 30. The second
carrier substrate 9 has a first surface 206 and a surface 204 opposite
said first surface. The first surface 206 of the second carrier substrate
has the encapsulation substrate 8 arranged thereon, which comprises a
recess 814 arranged below the radiation elements 1.

[0074] The first carrier substrate 63 is arranged above the encapsulation
substrate 8, i.e. on the second surface of the encapsulation substrate 8.
The radiation elements are arranged on the bottom side of the first
carrier substrate 63, i.e. on the first surface of the first carrier
substrate 63, which faces the encapsulation substrate 8. The recess 814
of the encapsulation substrate 8 is arranged below the radiation elements
and comprises an opening in the direction of same. The encapsulation
substrate 8 may be configured, for example, to hermetically seal a cavity
formed from the recess 814. The second surface 204 of the second carrier
substrate 9 has the non-transparent layer 30 arranged thereon in a
lateral manner, i.e. adjacently to the encapsulation substrate 8, and
said non-transparent layer 30 has the optical opening 3 in the form of a
continuous recess extending from a first surface of the layer 30, which
faces the second carrier substrate, to a second surface of the layer 30,
which is arranged opposite the first surface.

[0075] In FIG. 5, the second carrier substrate 9 is transparent, and the
radiation elements 1, the recess 814, the second carrier substrate 9, the
dispersive optical element 2, and the optical opening 3 are arranged and
configured such that the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiations of the activated radiation elements 1a to 1n propagate, within
the second carrier substrate 9, as far as the dispersive optical element,
from where they are deflected, also within the second carrier substrate
9, in the direction of the optical opening, and may exit the radiation
generation device through the optical opening 3 as constituents of the
resulting electromagnetic radiation 220.

[0076] Instead of the organic light emitting diodes, further embodiments
comprise inorganic light emitting diodes or laser diodes or a combination
of said three or further types of diodes.

[0077]FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a radiation generation device,
wherein the radiation elements 1 are arranged as filaments in or on an
SOI substrate 61, 62. The SOI substrate 61, 62 of FIG. 6 is encapsulated,
on the front side, with a first encapsulation substrate 8 and, on the
reverse side, with a second encapsulation substrate 8b, said second
encapsulation substrate 8b comprising a transparent material, e.g. glass,
whereas the first encapsulation substrate 8 may also comprise a
non-transparent material. The second encapsulation substrate 8b
simultaneously serves as a carrier substrate for the optical opening 3
for coupling out the radiation. As is depicted in FIG. 6, for example,
said optical opening 3 may be implemented as a slit which is made of a
material that is laterally structured, is arranged on the second
encapsulation substrate 8b, and is non-transparent to the radiation, it
being possible for said material to be a metal or a stack of layers 30,
for example. As the diffractive optical element 2, the embodiment of FIG.
6, again, uses a concave diffraction grating 2 arranged in or on the
second carrier substrate 9 and connected to the second encapsulation
substrate 8b by means of a spacer substrate 10. Both substrates 9 and 10
may be made of glass or plastic.

[0078] In other words, FIG. 6 generally shows a schematic cross section of
a fifth embodiment of a radiation generation device comprising a first
carrier substrate 62, a functional layer 61, a second carrier substrate
9, a spacer substrate 10, a first and a further encapsulation substrate
8, 8b, and a non-transparent layer 30, as well as a dispersive optical
element 2 and an optical opening 3. The second carrier substrate 9 has a
first surface 206 and a surface 204 opposite said first surface. The
spacer substrate 10 is arranged on the first surface 206 of the second
carrier substrate, said spacer substrate 10 comprising, above the area of
the recess 202 of the second carrier substrate 9, a continuous recess
1002 extending from a first surface of the spacer substrate, which faces
the second carrier substrate 9, to a second surface arranged opposite the
first surface of the second carrier substrate. The second surface of the
spacer substrate 10 has the further encapsulation substrate 8b arranged
thereon. The further encapsulation substrate 8b, i.e. that surface of the
further encapsulation substrate 8 which faces away from the spacer
substrate 10, has the first carrier substrate 62 arranged thereon, which
comprises a recess 216 extending from a first surface of the first
carrier substrate, which faces the further encapsulation substrate 8b, to
a second surface of the first carrier substrate 62, which is arranged
opposite the first surface. The second surface of the first carrier
substrate 62 has the functional layer 61 comprising the radiation
elements 1 arranged thereon. In this context, the radiation elements 1
are formed, similarly to FIGS. 2a-2c and 3, by continuous recesses
extending from a first surface of the functional layer 61, which faces
the first carrier substrate 62, to a second surface arranged opposite the
first surface of the functional layer 61. The second surface of the
functional layer 61 has the first encapsulation substrate 8 arranged
thereon, which comprises a one-sided recess that has an opening on that
side which faces the functional layer 61 and which is arranged above the
radiation elements 1. The second encapsulation substrate 8b has the
non-transparent layer 30 arranged thereon on in a lateral manner, i.e.
adjacently to the first carrier substrate 62. The first encapsulation
substrate 8 and the further encapsulation substrate 8b may be configured,
for example, to hermetically seal a cavity formed by the cavity 812
within the first encapsulation substrate, the continuous recesses within
the functional layer 61, and the recess 216 within the first carrier
substrate 62. Similarly to FIGS. 2a-2c, the optical path essentially lies
within the cavities. In other words, the radiation elements 1, the recess
216, the second encapsulation substrate 8b, the continuous recess 1002
within the spacer substrate 10, and the one-sided recess 202 within the
second carrier substrate 9, as well as the optical opening 3 within the
non-transparent layer 30 are configured and arranged such that the
radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations of the activated
radiation elements 1a-1n of the continuous recess 216 propagate through
the transparent second encapsulation substrate 8b, through the continuous
recess 1002 and the one-sided recess 202 as far as the dispersive optical
element 2, from where they are deflected, also within the one-sided
recess 202 and the continuous recess 1002, and, in turn, by the
transparent second encapsulation substrate 8b, in the direction of the
optical opening 3, and may exit the radiation generation device through
the optical opening 3 as constituents of the resulting electromagnetic
radiation 220.

[0079]FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a radiation generation device,
wherein the radiation elements 1 are arranged in or on an SOI substrate
61, 62 in the form of filaments 1. On the front side, the SOI substrate
61, 62 is encapsulated with an encapsulation substrate 8, for example a
glass substrate, and on the reverse side, it is encapsulated with a
further substrate 21. Said substrate 21, which is adjacent to the SOI
structure, has a lens 23 integrated therein, which collimates the
radiation emanating from the filaments, depicted in FIG. 7 only for
radiation elements 1n, and directs them onto the dispersive optical
element 2 in the form of a prism 2. Said prism 2 is integrated into a
further substrate 22, which, in turn, is arranged with and connected to
the substrate 21 of that surface of the further substrate 21 which faces
away from the SOI substrate. A further lens 25 is integrated in a
substrate 24 and focuses the radiation spectrally split up by the prism
2, see the spectral constituents 5n1, 5n2, 5n3, onto the optical opening,
which is configured as a slit 3, for coupling out the electromagnetic
radiation. Said substrate 24 additionally serves as a carrier for a
material non-transparent to the radiation, e.g. a metal or a stack of
layers 30, through which the slit 3 is produced by means of lateral
structuring. The prism 2, which in the embodiment of FIG. 7 forms the
optical dispersive element, may be replaced, for example, by a
transmission grating as a dispersive optical element 2.

[0080] In other words, FIG. 7 shows a cross section as a sixth embodiment
of a radiation generation device comprising a first carrier substrate 62,
a functional layer 61, a first encapsulation substrate 8, a first optical
substrate 21, a second optical substrate 22, a third optical substrate
24, and a non-transparent layer 30 comprising the optical opening 3. The
first carrier substrate 62 has a lower, first surface and a second
surface which is opposite said first surface, has the functional layer 61
arranged thereon and has the radiation elements 1 integrated therein, as
was already described by means of FIG. 6. As described in FIG. 6, the
functional layer 61 has a first encapsulation substrate 8 comprising a
one-sided recess 812 arranged thereon, and, as is also depicted in FIG.
6, the first carrier substrate 62 has a continuous recess 216. The first
optical substrate 21 is arranged below, i.e. on the first surface of the
first carrier substrate 62 and has a first surface, which faces away from
the first carrier substrate 62, and a second surface, which is arranged
opposite said first surface. On the side of the second surface of the
first optical substrate 21, the first optical substrate 21 has a lens 23.
On the lower surface, i.e. the first surface of the first optical
substrate 21, the second optical substrate 22 is arranged, which has a
first surface on the lower side, which is arranged facing away from the
first optical substrate 21, and further comprises a second surface
arranged opposite the first surface of the second optical substrate 22.
The second optical element 22 comprises the dispersive optical element 2.
Below, i.e. on the first surface of the second optical substrate 22, the
third optical substrate 24 is arranged, which has a first surface which
faces away from the second optical substrate, and a second surface which
faces the second optical substrate 22. The third optical substrate 24
comprises the above-described second lens 25. The non-transparent layer
30 is arranged on the first surface of the third optical substrate 24.

[0081] In further embodiments of FIG. 7, the radiation elements 1 may have
different distances.

[0082] The dispersive optical elements 2 of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 may also be
diffractive optical elements.

[0083] Even though the above discussion was mainly about embodiments
comprising thermal radiation elements, further embodiments may comprise,
instead of the thermal radiation elements, such radiation elements that
are based on a different physical principle, and vice versa. In addition,
in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7, a mixture of radiation elements of
different physical principles may be employed as radiation elements 1a to
1n, and, for example, a radiation generation device may comprise only one
thermal radiation element and one radiation element based on
luminescence, or more of same.

[0084] In addition, embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 7 may additionally comprise,
for example, one or more further radiation elements, i.e. a second
multitude of radiation elements, and a further or second dispersive
optical structure, which are arranged to the right (with regard to the
figures) of a vertical axis or plane running through the center of the
optical opening, so as to enable further spectral components for the
resulting electromagnetic radiation. It is only in FIG. 3 that said axis
or plane 390 is drawn in, by way of example. What was discussed for FIGS.
1 to 7 shall also apply to this expansion. This expansion may have, for
example, the same arrangement, but mirror-inverted, as that shown in
FIGS. 2 to 7, so as to thereby increase the intensity of the resulting
electromagnetic radiation, or it may comprise any other arrangement to be
able to generate other spectral components.

[0085] Even though the description has sometimes differentiated between
layers, diaphragms and substrates, the substrates or diaphragms described
in FIGS. 1 to 7 may also be referred to as layers, and vice versa.
Moreover, as an alternative to the embodiments, additional suitable
substrates or layers, possibly comprising corresponding recesses, may be
arranged between the substrates and layers.

[0086] Embodiments of the radiation generation device may be employed in
any fields wherein radiation sources (or light sources) comprising
modulatable or changeable spectral emission may be used. As was explained
above, one application is, for example, in optical spectral analysis,
wherein a statement is to be made about the composition, the condition or
other properties by means of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation
with the surface or the volume of an object, a liquid, or a gas. The
wavelength-dependent reflection, transmission, absorption, and scattering
properties are dependent on the material that may be employed for its
identification. Several basically different variants are used. One
variant of applying the inventive solution is as follows. Using the light
source represented, a measurement object that is to be spectrally
analyzed is transluminated. By sequentially changing the emission
spectrum, the spectrum to be determined in accordance with the
measurement principle may be captured by a single detector. From this
spectrum, the material composition or concentration of specific
substances may be inferred. Solid, liquid or gaseous substances may be
analyzed in this manner. In the application, spectra of a high number
down to two measurement values are captured for identification. The
validity and reliability of the measurement will change in dependence
thereon. Embodiments of the radiation generation device enable adaptation
to different wavelength ranges and to the widths and number of the
spectral intervals within which the spectrum is varied.

[0087] That range of the electromagnetic spectrum that excites
characteristic molecular vibrations or their overtones, or combination
vibrations, is particularly suitable for numerous examinations of objects
made of organic materials. These ranges are referred to as medium
infrared (MIR: wavelengths from 2,500 nm to 25 μm) or near infrared
(NIR: wavelengths between 780 nm and 2,500 nm). Other substances and
compounds, too, may have characteristic absorption bands within this
range. However, visible light (380 nm . . . 780 nm), the ultraviolet
spectrum (wavelengths below 380 nm) as well as far infrared (FIR) above
25 μm may also be taken into account for the examinations.

[0088] In other words, embodiments of the radiation generation device may
be employed, for example, in the field of spectral analysis or
spectroscopy, i.e. in fields wherein light of a selected wavelength
interacts with matter, and wherein the characteristic of the interaction
is interpreted by changes in intensity, possibly in dependence on the
wavelength. Various approaches are applied here, for example measurements
in reflection, transmission, absorption, transflection, fluorescence,
excitation of processes, induced emission, or evaluation of so-called
RAMAN signals. The measurements may be effected, inter alia, on the
surface or the volume of solid matters, in liquids, gasses or plasmas,
the objects may be present and be analyzed at normal pressure, in a
reduced atmosphere, or at increased pressure. Furthermore, the objects
may be present in a basic state or in an excited form.

[0089] An advantageous variant for such measurements comprises
narrow-band, with regard to the wavelength, illumination of an object
using a source for a tunable spectrum, and detection by means of a simple
light-sensitive detector.

[0090] A further application comprises measuring the spectral sensitivity
of radiation detectors or photodetectors. Both individual detectors and
detector arrays may be measured. The inventive solution provides a light
source with which the detector(s) is/are irradiated with radiation
(light) of different known wavelength compositions. In this manner, it is
possible to determine the spectral sensitivity.

[0091] Embodiments of the radiation generation device may be additionally
used for measuring the color of an object. In this context, the
modulatable light source is configured such that this light is emitted
within the visible wavelength range, the surface to be analyzed is
irradiated, and the light that is reflected back is detected by an
individual detector. Usually, the corresponding light source is
configured such that the emitted wavelength ranges in combination with
the wide-band sensitivity of the individual detector are adapted to the
eye's spectral sensitivity (red, green, blue). For detecting so-called
"methame" colors, measurement of the spectrum may be effected with
increased spectral resolution and number of measurements.

[0092] Embodiments of the radiation generation device have no movable
elements and may therefore be potentially employed in portable devices.
By means of system integration, implementations of the invention enable a
miniaturized, low-cost, spectrally tunable radiation source. The
invention enables integration of radiation sources with different
emission principles. In this context, both thermal radiation elements and
non-thermal radiation elements, e.g. luminescent radiation elements,
organic or inorganic light emitting diodes (LEDs, OLEDs) may be
integrated.

[0093] The spectral composition of the radiation emitted by the radiation
generation device or source may be influenced by the selection of the
emission principle, by the implementation (e.g. the geometry), by the
number of radiation emitting elements and their control, by the
implementation of the dispersive element as well as by the position and
the configuration of the optical opening.

[0094] Embodiments of the radiation generation device comprise individual
or a multitude of radiation emitting areas or elements. By using micro-
and lithographic technologies, these filaments may be manufactured on the
basis of the various physical emission principles. For example,
self-supporting beams of a high-melting metal or metal alloy may be
structured on a silicon or SOI substrate (silicon/silicon
dioxide/silicon). They are individually controllable. By combination with
an optical system and a dispersive element, the radiation is split up, in
a wavelength-dependent manner, within an aperture plane. Only part of the
spectrum may exit from the source through an aperture, such as an
aperture slot, for example. Depending on the position of the element, the
split-up spectrum is offset within the aperture plane, which is why, for
each element, a different part of the spectrum may pass through the
aperture. Due to the superposition of the spatially offset spectra of
different elements, a spectrum thus forms again, behind the aperture, the
composition of which depends on the control of the elements.

[0095] By controlling the individual filaments, the spectrum of the
radiation generation device may be changed or modulated. Due to the size
of the individual radiation emitting areas, a high level of temporal
modulation may be achieved, which may also be used for a high level of
temporal wavelength modulation. Depending on the wavelength range that
may be used, it is also possible to structure organic light emitting
diodes (OLEDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), or similar emitters. In
addition, it is possible to generate a mixture of light from different
wavelength intervals by simultaneously controlling several filaments or,
generally, several radiation elements.

[0096] For spectrally limiting the spectrum and for suppressing relatively
high-order diffractions in the use of gratings, absorption or
interference filters may be additionally integrated into the optical
path. For controlling the light source, or as a current source or current
supply, an electronic circuit 100, or a micro-electronic circuit, may be
part of the overall system of the modulatable light source. It is also
possible for radiation detectors to be integrated, which monitor the
total performance or the spectral composition and may be used for
closed-loop control.

[0097] The following applications shall be mentioned as examples of
application: gas analysis (CO2 measurement, CO measurement, sensors
for fire detectors, checking of the fuel gas composition and monitoring
of waste gas treatment), analysis of liquids (on-line water analysis,
analysis of alcohol, and monitoring of fuel quality), analysis of solids
(water content of foodstuffs, on-line checking of the main components of
foodstuffs, sorting of plastics and monitoring of the compositions of
pharmaceutical products), telecommunications (wavelength-modulated signal
transmission), and measurement technology (on-line color check and
calibration of photodetectors and detector arrays). Applications may
therefore be found, for example, in environmental measurement technology,
agriculture, production of foodstuffs, pharmaceutics, dermatology,
medicine, biotechnology, chemistry, petrochemistry, recycling, automobile
manufacture, aviation, and air-conditioning technology.

[0098] Embodiments of the present invention provide a radiation generation
device that may emit light within a narrow, but freely selectable
wavelength range, is tunable, particularly in the near-infrared to
medium-infrared spectral ranges, may be manufactured in large batches,
may be realized to be small-sized and light-weight, consumes little
energy, and is sufficiently robust for mobile applications.

[0099] The high level of integration enables low-cost production in large
numbers of pieces. In addition, embodiments of the radiation generation
device have no movable parts, so that the radiation generation device is
particularly robust and, additionally, easy to control electrically.
Moreover, radiation generation devices may also be configured to be
small-sized, light-weight and energy-efficient.

[0101] Embodiments of the radiation generation device comprise several
means for thermal generation of electromagnetic radiation, so-called
filaments, the filaments being spatially arranged such that they directly
or indirectly illuminate a diffractive structure, for example a
reflection grating. Due to the diffractive structure, the radiation is
split up, in a solid angle dependent manner, into the various
wavelengths. By means of at least one corresponding means, for example an
exit slit, only a certain part of the wavelength range is coupled out.
The location of the wavelength range may be controlled by the selection
of filament.

[0102] Further embodiments of the radiation generation device comprise
filaments that have, as their material, monocrystalline silicon, which is
conductive due to sufficiently high doping levels. Alternatively, the
filaments may be configured in metal thin layers or conductive ceramics.
The filaments may be manufactured, for example, from so-called SOI
substrates by etching. Depending on the selection of the configuration
substrate, the filaments have thicknesses of several 100 nm to several
μm. The exit slit, or the optical opening, may be realized within the
same chip, and its position is precisely definable due to the high
precision of micro-system technique technology. This chip may be mounted,
by means of vacuum packaging technology, onto a pressed plastic body or
substrate containing a holographic grating, for example with a blazed
structure. In the other spatial direction, the system is also
hermetically sealed, so that the filaments are entirely within a vacuum.
Alternatively, a protective gas or an active gas may be employed, as with
commercial halogen lamps. Embodiments of the radiation generation device
comprise, e.g., 128 or 256 filaments per chip, which have widths of about
5 μm and lengths of about 250 μm. For compensating for the thermal
expansion (a change in length of 6 μm with an Si filament of 250 μm
at an operation of 1,200° C.), the embodiments may further
comprise a holder that is specifically designed on one side and comprises
a flexible element.

[0103] Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a
radiation generation device comprising several radiation elements for
emitting electromagnetic radiation that may be controlled by generating a
high temperature of the element, said radiation generation device further
comprising a wavelength-selective element, which deflects, for each
radiation element, a certain wavelength range to a certain solid-angle
element, said radiation generation device further comprising an element
for limiting a solid-angle range through which the electromagnetic
radiation exits the radiation generation device, it being possible for
the location of the wavelength interval to be influenced by the selection
of the one or more emitting elements, and that a spectrum which has a
measurable intensity only within a certain wavelength interval may exit
the light source.

[0104] In other embodiments, the functional layer 61 and/or the
non-transparent layer 30 may have, instead of a slit or a continuous
recess, a transparent area within the functional layer 61 or the
non-transparent layer 30 so as to form the optical opening 3.

[0105] Embodiments of the present invention may be configured such that
the multitude of radiation elements, the dispersive optical element, and
the optical opening are mutually mechanically secured, that is, they are
unmovably arranged within the radiation generation device, i.e. none of
the above-mentioned elements is displaceable or rotatable, for example.

[0106] Further embodiments provide a radiation generation device for
generating electromagnetic radiation, said radiation generation device
comprising several elements 1, or 1a to 1n, for generating
electromagnetic radiation, and it being possible to control the elements
independently of one another, wherein the radiation generation device
comprises at least one dispersive optical element 2 for spectrally
splitting up the radiation emanating from the elements, the radiation
generation device comprising an optical device 3 for coupling out the
electromagnetic radiation, the opening 3 being configured and arranged
such that it limits the spectral bandwidth of the radiation emitted by
each individual element 1a to 1n and split up by the dispersive element,
and it being possible for the spectral composition of the radiation 220
passing through the optical opening to be influenced by controlling the
radiation generating element(s) in a targeted manner.

[0107] Further developments of the embodiments provide, for example, a
radiation generation device wherein the elements for generating the
electromagnetic radiation are configured to be strip-shaped and are
arranged in a regular manner or at variable distances from one another.

[0108] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the elements for generating the electromagnetic
radiation have different geometries in each case.

[0109] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the elements for generating the electromagnetic
radiation are formed from heatable structures, so-called filaments, or
inorganic or organic light emitting diodes (LEDs, OLEDs), or laser
diodes.

[0110] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the filaments consist of a metal or a metal
alloy or an electrically conductive metal/non-metal compound or a
semiconductor material such as silicon, or a conductive non-metal such as
graphite-like carbon, or compounds of non-metals.

[0111] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the filaments consist of a (lateral) stack of
different materials.

[0112] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the dispersive optical element is a diffraction
grating or a prism or a combination of same.

[0113] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the optical opening for coupling out
electromagnetic radiation is configured as an aperture having a
rectangular or oval cross section, or is configured from a structure
having a plurality of openings.

[0114] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the optical opening for coupling out
electromagnetic radiation consists of a material that is transparent to
the radiation and is partly coated with a material not transparent to the
radiation, or a stack of layers.

[0115] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the optical opening for coupling out
electromagnetic radiation are arranged on or in a shared substrate or a
shared diaphragm or are arranged in a self-supporting manner,
mechanically secured by a shared substrate.

[0116] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the dispersive optical element or the opening
for coupling out the radiation is arranged in or on a substrate.

[0117] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the elements for generating the electromagnetic
radiation and the dispersive optical element or the opening for coupling
out the radiation, or both, are arranged on or in a shared substrate or a
shared diaphragm.

[0118] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the dispersive element and the opening for
coupling out the radiation are arranged on or in a shared substrate.

[0119] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the substrate having arranged the elements for
generating electromagnetic radiation arranged thereon or therein is
indirectly or directly connected to the substrate, which has the
dispersive optical element arranged thereon or therein, or to the
substrate which has the opening for coupling out the radiation arranged
thereon or therein.

[0120] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the substrates are connected to one another in
a stacked manner.

[0121] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein there is a spacer substrate between the
substrate having the elements for generating electromagnetic radiation
arranged thereon or therein and the substrate having the dispersive
optical element arranged thereon or therein, or the substrate having the
opening for coupling out the radiation arranged thereon or therein.

[0122] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein one of the substrates comprises further optical
functional elements.

[0123] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the substrates are indirectly or directly
connected to one another.

[0124] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the shared substrate of the elements for
generating electromagnetic radiation is a silicon-on-insulator substrate
(SOI) or a silicon substrate or a glass substrate or a ceramic substrate.

[0125] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the substrate having the dispersive element or
the optical opening located thereon or therein comprises one of the
material groups of glass, ceramics, plastic, metal, or a semiconductor
material.

[0126] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein at least one detector is present for measuring
the power of electromagnetic radiation.

[0127] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein at least one measuring means is present for
detecting the spectral composition.

[0128] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the radiation emitted by the source is within
the ultraviolet or visible or infrared spectral range, or a combination
of same.

[0129] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein the spectral composition of the radiation
output by the source may be varied in time by sequentially controlling
one or more radiation emitting elements.

[0130] Further developments of the embodiments provide, e.g., a radiation
generation device wherein a mixture of electromagnetic radiation is
generated in a targeted manner by simultaneously operating several
radiation emitting elements.

[0131] Yet further developments may comprise reflection gratings or
holographic gratings as dispersive optical elements, may comprise silicon
monocrystal, doped semiconductor substrates, SOI substrates, high-melting
metals, high-melting and conductive compounds such as TaC, HfC, TaHfC,
which comprise thermal stress compensation, as filament materials, may
comprise monitor diodes as radiation elements, may comprise electrical
excitation, pulsed excitation or non-electrical excitation, may comprise
gratings that have been manufactured in molding processes, are pressed or
deep-drawn, may comprise gratings within the chip, and mirrors.

[0132] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a spectral
analysis device having a radiation generation device as was described
above, a radiation detector configured to receive the resulting
electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic radiation generated by means
of the resulting electromagnetic radiation, and an evaluation unit
configured to perform a spectral analysis on the basis of the
electromagnetic radiation received.

[0133] Embodiments of the spectral analysis device may comprise only one
single radiation detector that is arranged in a spatially unvariable
manner in relation to the radiation generation device, or is configured
to perform a spectral analysis without changing a position of the
radiation detector or a spatial arrangement of the radiation generation
device in relation to the radiation detector.

[0134] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method of
producing a radiation generation device, comprising the following steps.

[0135] Providing or generating a multitude of radiation elements
configured to generate a radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiation, respectively, upon being activated, a first radiation element
of the multitude of radiation elements being activatable independently of
other radiation elements of the multitude of radiation elements.
Providing or generating an optical opening. Providing or generating a
dispersive optical element. Connecting the dispersive optical element to
the multitude of radiation elements and to the optical opening, the
dispersive optical element being arranged and configured, in relation to
the multitude of radiation elements and the optical opening, to deflect
the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations in dependence
on their angles of incidence and their wavelengths such that a limited
spectral range of each of the radiation element specific electromagnetic
radiations may exit through the optical opening, so that the spectral
composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation exiting through
the optical opening is adjustable by selectively activating the multitude
of radiation elements.

[0136] Depending on the production technologies, the aforementioned steps
may be performed in a different order and/or at least partially
simultaneously. Embodiments of the manufacturing method of manufacturing
a radiation generation device may be configured such that the step of
generating the radiation elements, the dispersive element and/or the
optical opening, the step of connecting the substrates and layers (e.g.,
of FIGS. 2a: 8, 61, 62 and 9), in or on which the radiation elements, the
dispersive element and/or the optical opening may be arranged and
hermetic encapsulation is performed both in a wafer bond arrangement and
with singulated components. For further details of the various
manufacturing technologies and steps, please refer to the above
description.

[0137] While this invention has been described in terms of several
embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents which
fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that
there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and
compositions of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the
following appended claims be interpreted as including all such
alterations, permutations and equivalents as fall within the true spirit
and scope of the present invention.